On a low income in Munich, plenty of things cost less – but only if you hold the right card. The city’s München-Pass opens the door to a cheaper monthly travel ticket and reduced prices at pools and museums. It is not issued automatically; you have to apply for it yourself.
Who qualifies?
Munich residents are eligible if they receive Grundsicherungsgeld under SGB II (called Bürgergeld until this summer), social assistance or basic income support under SGB XII, or benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act. Volunteers in the FSJ, FÖJ or federal volunteer service also qualify. The city’s pages do not single out Ukrainian refugees – what counts is which benefit a person receives.
People without benefits can qualify too if their net income is below the Munich limit: €1,900 a month for a single-person household, plus €950 for each additional person aged 14 or over and €570 for each child up to 13. A family with one child up to 13 can therefore earn up to €3,420 net; with a child aged 14 or older, the limit is €3,800. Assets are capped at €10,000 per adult and €500 per child. Since 1 January 2025, students and trainees can also get the pass; au pairs cannot.
What it saves – and where the limits are
The core benefit is the Monatskarte S, a monthly ticket for zones M to M-12. Each month the pass also covers up to 15 single or group day tickets, or up to 20 children’s day tickets. The ticket is not valid Monday to Friday between 6 and 9 a.m., including during school holidays; you may take your own children and grandchildren along in any number. On inspection you must show the pass and photo ID, or face a €60 surcharge. The current price is set by the MVV – the city’s page does not state it.
The pass also brings reductions at pools, sports facilities, museums, cinemas, the zoo, theatres and the adult-education centre. Some pharmacies sell certain over-the-counter medicines more cheaply to pass holders.
Families should also look at the Familienpass: it costs €6, covers two adults and up to four children aged 17 or under, and runs to 31 December of the year of issue. It includes two vouchers for the city’s M-Bäder pools (one adult, one child up to 14) plus discounts at wildlife parks, museums and music schools. Families in need can get it free through the “SZ Gute Werke” charity – ask at a Sozialbürgerhaus. The Münchner Ferienpass for ages 6 to 17 is valid in all Bavarian school holidays from the autumn break to the end of the summer break.
How to apply
You can apply through the city’s online form, in person at the Sozialbürgerhaus for your area, or by post to the Amt für Wohnen und Migration. You need valid photo ID (a copy if applying by post) and proof of eligibility: a decision on SGB II or SGB XII benefits, a notice from the Amt für Wohnen und Migration or the Familienkasse – or documents showing income, assets and rent. Processing usually takes three to four weeks and is free. An existing pass can be extended up to four times.
Our assessment: anyone applying now will probably receive the pass around the end of the autumn holidays on 8 November. For the Christmas holidays, it makes sense not to wait. There is no legal entitlement to the city’s voluntary benefits, so check the conditions before going to the office.
Sources: City of Munich: München-Pass, City of Munich: Monatskarte S, City of Munich: Familienpass, City of Munich: help for people on low incomes, MVV
